Consultation on a Science Policy for Wales
Response from the University of Wales, Bangor
Summary
Wales
would benefit from a Science Policy which covers basic and applied research, economic development, the use of science in policy, the infrastructure base for science, training of scientists, and the public understanding of science. Implementing the policy needs
new initiatives within Wales and improved links to the rest of the UK and the EU.
Introduction
1.
We welcome the opportunity to comment on the desirability and content of a science policy for Wales. 2. Science is
key to delivering evidence-based policy and decision making in devolved portfolios (such as education, environment and health), in developing the Welsh economy, and in the life and culture of the people of Wales.3.
Wales needs a science policy because it must make effective use of its science infrastructure and expertise. Further it cannot possibly itself cover the range of scientific issues of importance to it, yet must be able to deliver the results of the best science
to its people and its environment.4.
The range of science R+D in Wales is but a small fraction of both that occurring globally, and of that which Wales needs. The national and international networking of Wales’ research scientists is a major asset in extending our reach beyond our borders.
Libraries, including the National Library of Wales and those in the HE sector and research institutes are another. Increasingly, the web provides access to refereed primary sources of science information. 5.
Information alone is of limited use; it needs people capable of interpreting it and applying it to our context. Naturally scientific information is incomplete, and we need means of identifying the gaps that are important to Wales, and mechanisms for filling
those gaps.6.
Both interpreting information, and generating new research, can only be done by trained scientists. There is no substitute for high-quality science education coupled with the research infrastructure that supports a vibrant community of scientists working in
Wales to international standards. 7.
Scientists can create, analyse and interpret research; to place that research in a social and political context requires other skills and structures. Wales is, through its size and sense of community, ideally placed to develop the bridges between science and
society that are so often lacking.
Science
education
8. Science education needs continuity from school through HE. In general provision at school level is good, although the consequences of the introduction of AS and A2 syllabi inevitably
means that school-leavers have a slightly less detailed knowledge of any one subject than previously. 9.
The training that produces scientists who can make a contribution to knowledge, to policy and to the economy is provided exclusively by HE. First degrees, Masters and doctorates together deliver men and women with subject-specific knowledge and the generic skills
that can be summarised as 'thinking like a scientist’: analytical, critical, numerate, deductive. 10.
The first question is: what range of BSc degrees does Wales need? What numbers of graduates should it produce? Since graduates are highly mobile, we believe that this question can only be answered in a UK-(and possibly EU-) wide context.11.
The second question is: in what subjects should Wales produce PhDs? Because good PhDs are trained in well-found and dynamic laboratories, this question is equivalent to asking what types of science research should be done in Wales.
Science
research
12. Science research is an increasingly expensive process dependent on both people with the right skills, and on the equipment and infrastructure to support them. Major changes in direction
require correspondingly major investment. 13.
The funding from science research comes from a number of sources, and typically any one substantial research programme has multiple forms of support. This is true of both research institutes and HE, although there are differences of detail. Industrial money
is important to both. 14.
To date direct funding to HE from WAG has been via HEFCW and the block grant to universities; direct funding of individual research programmes has been relatively minor. Sources are WAG directly, and its agencies - for example CCW and WDA. However, if WAG is
to have a serious effect on the conduct of science in Wales then it will have to be prepared to make a substantial investment in doing so.
A
science policy for Wales
15. A science policy for Wales should embrace education, research infrastructure, the production and retention of excellent scientists, pure and applied research,
public understanding of science issues, evidence-based policy, and the role of science in economic development. This of course has to fit alongside the policies in Education, and Economic Development in particular.16.
A science policy needs to move beyond a statement of good intentions and deal with key issues of infrastructure, resources and sustainability. 17.
Science education needs to be embedded in a UK context, and possibly within an EU context. A key question is: does the number of graduates in each subject need to be matched to the projected demand for them? If the answer is yes, then mechanisms which supplement
the current market-based system need to be introduced. Such mechanisms need to recognise the mobility of science graduates. 18.
Retention of good scientists in Wales - by being able to offer competitive salaries, good working conditions and facilities, and good living conditions - is crucial to sustaining the science base.19.
We suggest that the areas of science that are of importance to and practicable in Wales are identified early in the development of policy. The following comments apply to areas already within Wales at a competitive level. 20.
Most science research is expensive, in part because of its reliance on infrastructure and equipment, is best done in teams, and is increasingly interdisciplinary. Thus where Wales has capacity, it is cost-effective to maintain it; where it has not, it is expensive
to introduce it. This is not an argument for stasis, since development of ideas and techniques is integral to doing science, but it is a strong reason for rational planning of strategy and investment. Further it is the research groups that are operating at an
international level that will find it easiest to maintain and improve their infrastructure and personnel in a competitive market. 21.
Therefore we suggest that an audit of strengths in Wales is necessary. The HE Research Assessment Exercise is not a suitable mechanism as it ranks whole departments, not individual research groups; there can be real excellence in a department whose overall rating
is modest. Research Council reviews of institutes are more relevant since they often report at the level of research group. The audit could usefully include infrastructure, and should take account of the impacts of reconfiguration in Welsh HE. 22.
We emphasise the importance of initiatives such as Reconfiguration and Collaboration in being able to effect wholly beneficial change. By limited, targeted investment which is contingent on real collaboration, we gain economies of scale in use of infrastructure
and achieving of effective mass of research groups. The discussions which underpin bids to such initiatives often result in increased interdisciplinarity and the forging of new research alignments and directions. 23.
Following audit, it will be possible to map Wales’ needs onto the country’s research base. Where there is provision which coincides with need, WAG should consider investment which will guarantee sustained and cost-effective delivery of research,
and of the mechanisms to deliver the results of that research to policy and economic development. 24.
An unforeseen consequence of devolution has been the relatively poor linkage between science in Wales and major UK funders of science such as DEFRA, DTI and the Environment Agency (Environment Agency Wales has a very limited research budget). We urge the Assembly
to ensure that senior civil servants from Wales, fully conversant with the needs of Wales and the aspirations of its science community, work effectively with Whitehall to ensure that (a) Welsh issues and needs are fully and fairly represented in the policies,
priorities and strategies of funders based in England but with responsibilities for Wales, and (b) that the providers of science research in Wales have a fair and reasonable access to research and development monies.25.
We would urge with enthusiasm the creation of effective partnerships between providers and users of research in Wales. Wales is demonstrating in many domains that it is of the right size, and has the will, to use partnerships in novel and effective ways. It
is time to apply this thinking fully to the science community; the merging Environmental Science Research Hub might be a model. Partnerships between research providers and the Assembly could result in leverage of non-Welsh funding into Welsh science. Joint representations
to UK research councils, the EU, DTI, DEFRA, DfID etc could be explored. 26.
Areas of science which are not germane to Wales’ devolved functions, to its economic growth, or to its cultural life, will continue to compete on the national and international stage as now. 27.
If an area is deemed important to Wales but not represented within it at a sufficiently high and competitive level, a decision is needed. Either significant investment is needed for both infrastructure, personnel and running costs; or mechanisms must be found
for sourcing what is needed from outside of Wales. The former approach is clearly a long-term investment, the second more appropriate to short-term needs or to very expensive, highly localised science such as some particle physics.28.
Decisions of this magnitude will presumably need to involve effective communication between different parts of the Assembly and its functions. Experience suggests that this might not be easy, and we recommend that the Assembly explore effective ways of working
that involve all its parts relevant to science. Key sectors are agriculture; culture; economic development; education and training; the environment; health and health services; industry. Clearly issues of language will also need to be addressed. 29.
Both pure and applied research need to be supported. The idea that all research should have an application, or be close to market, fails on two grounds. The first is that research is sufficiently unpredictable that important applications can arise from pure
research. The second is that only the best research, pure or applied, is good enough, and that means keeping the best researchers, many of whom are driven by curiosity not applicability. No purely applied research base has been sustained independent of pure
research. 30.
Effective communication of science to the public is essential. Issues such as the release of GMOs, BSE, and foot and mouth are frequent and rightly involve the public in forming a social consensus on decisions. We must transmit balanced and detailed information
to the public in a way in which it can be understood and used in the democratic process. We suggest that this will need new thinking and new investment; current researchers are largely without the requisite skills, and the media are neither well informed nor
balanced. The Assembly should consider investment on the scale required to communicate science effectively within Wales. This would, inter alia, help produce a more skilled and effective civil society and workforce. 31.
Science has a key role in promoting and underpinning economic development, particularly in post-industrial countries such as Wales where exploitation of natural resources does not dominate the economy. The next section examines how science policy relates to
economic development. 32.
Summarising, research can be divided into 3 categories; basic research; industrial research and research in support of policy, and various mechanisms can be identified for facilitating each of these. In the area of commercialisation of science and growth of
economic activity, it is key that partnerships are built to enable growth and in this area focus can be applied to the latter 2 categories.33.
Increasing the responsiveness of the Welsh science base is fundamental to achieving these broad aims. Mechanisms to enable this include fostering university spin-out companies, patent applications and contract research. (In England, for example, this is being
enhanced through the development of regional science investment by RDAs e.g. development of science cities). In a Wales Science policy, a focus on how Wales wishes to foster such activities and where to align within the context of the UK needs to be considered.34.
In parallel with the investments in science, there needs to be an effective two way link between research and the broader community to ensure that good research becomes good business. Wales’s long term competitiveness demands increased productivity,
invention and innovation and exploitation of the science and engineering base plays a vital role in supporting the role of driving up productivity. 35.
Serious consideration should be given to the evaluation of the benefit of a Science Knowledge Transfer centre in Wales which could, for example, be based on the Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) which develops innovative models for knowledge transfer and business/industry
- University collaboration and new educational models. The purpose would be to put in context the Knowledge Transfer activities for Wales and could help in defining strategy for future 'third mission’ investment from WAG via HEFCW.36.
Knowledge transfer also generates a return on the investment of public funds in the science research base. It also enables HEIs to offer a broader learning experience to students and researchers, enhance relevance, creating a complex triangular relationship
between research, teaching and knowledge transfer and therefore needs to be carefully considered in drawing up a strategy.37.
Above we have suggested areas which a Science Policy for Wales needs to address. Mechanisms to evolve and deliver policy are needed. Some ideas and models already present in the UK and EU need either high-level Welsh representation or parallel bodies in Wales.
These might include the Foresight programme, horizon scanning, the Funders’ Forum, the Large Facilities Capital Fund, full implementation of FEC, sustainability of the two Research Council institutes in Wales, and senior scientific advice to Cabinet.
In some areas (horizon scanning) there are benefits in Wales’ own carefully collated views being linked to those of the rest of the UK and the EU; in others (advice to Cabinet) Wales clearly needs its own provision.
